To: Board of Directors, Sonoma County Water Agency
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency
Staff Name and Phone Number: Douglas Messenger / 547-1952
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
Update to Design and Construction Standards for Sanitation Facilities and Sanitation Codes
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a resolution approving the 2020 Update to the Sonoma County Water Agency Design and Construction Standards for Sanitation Facilities.
end
Executive Summary:
The State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water requires certain changes to Sonoma County Water Agency Design and Construction Standards for Sanitation Facilities (“Sanitation Standards”) regarding the separation of water mains from sewer mains. The proposed amendments to Sanitation Standards are to comply with these requirements.
Discussion:
The requirements for separation of new water mains and new water supply lines from sanitary sewers and other non-potable water pipelines are contained in California Code of Regulations Title 22 (“Waterworks Standards”) Section 64572 (“Water Main Separation”). This section of the Waterworks Standards allows for exceptions to be granted with approval of the State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water (“Division of Drinking Water”).
Since 1983, Division of Drinking Water (then under California Department of Health Services, and later the Department of Public Health) has distributed guidance memos standardizing certain exceptions to Water Main Separation regulations. The revisions to the guidance memo contained minor modifications through the version distributed in October 2003. The current Sanitation Standards conform to the October 2003 version of the Guidance Memo. These Sanitation Standards are applicable to each sanitation district and sanitation zone that is operated by Sonoma Water per the sanitation code of each sanitation district and sanitation zone, respectively.
On December 30, 2016, the local office of the Division of Drinking Water sent an email requesting a change to Drawing 109 of the Sanitation Standards regarding water main separation criteria. In response, Sonoma Water staff identified relevant portions of the Sanitation Standards to change during the next planned update.
On December 14, 2017, the Deputy Director of the State Water Resources Control Board sent a statewide letter to Public Water System Owners and Operators that superseded the former guidance memo and all previous versions of these criteria. This latest memo revoked previously approved standard exceptions to the separation criteria and required public water systems to request exceptions to Water Main Separation regulations from the Division of Drinking Water on a case-by-case basis.
On August 6, 2020, the local office of the Division of Drinking Water sent a letter to Sonoma Water requiring an update to the Sanitation Standards to comply with the 2017 letter regarding Water Main Separation. In response, staff has incorporated proposed modifications to the Sanitation Standards that include appropriate reference to, and compliance with, the current Waterworks Standards, including deletion of the Sanitation Standard Drawing 109, which does not conform to the 2017 letter. These proposed modifications have been prepared in coordination with the Division of Drinking Water to articulate existing requirements, and will create no new impact on customers. The Division of Drinking Water has concurred that the proposed revisions to the Sanitation Standards meet their requirements.
Prior Board Actions:
March 3, 2009: Approved 2009 Update to the Sonoma County Water Agency Design and Construction Standards for Sanitation Facilities
Fiscal Summary
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
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Attachments:
Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None